Treatment Options
Medicine
Open angle glaucoma can often be controlled with eye drops. Today’s medications are very effective and can be easily integrated into your daily routine.
Laser
In-office laser surgery is also used to treat glaucoma and decrease dependence on eye drops.
Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT)
SLT is a laser treatment for open angle glaucoma that uses short pulses of low-energy laser light to target melanin (pigment) containing cells in the outflow channels of the eye. These pulses of energy cause the macrophages (cleaner cells) of the body to “clean out” the clogged drain of the eye, allowing increased drainage of fluid. and lowering of intraocular pressure. This procedure takes approximately 10-15 minutes and is performed on an outpatient basis.
Who is a good candidate?
➢ Patients who have open-angle glaucoma.
➢ Patients who cannot tolerate glaucoma medications.
➢ Patients for whom medications do not adequately control their eye pressure.
Peripheral Laser Iridotomy for Angle Closure Glaucoma
Laser Iridotomy is a treatment for closed angle glaucoma that uses a laser to make a small hole in the iris to create a new pathway for the aqueous fluid to drain from the eye. The new drainage hole allows the iris to fall back into its normal position, restoring the balance between fluid entering and leaving the eye and lowering the eye pressure.
Who may need this procedure?
➢ Patients who have narrow angles.
➢ Patients who are very hyperopic, or far-sighted.
➢ Patients who have had angle closure in the fellow eye.
Surgery
In some cases, glaucoma surgery may be required. Patients who have this surgery often experience a dramatic decrease in pressure, which can preserve their vision.
Trabeculectomy
Constructing a flap of tissue that serves as an additional outflow channel to allow extra fluid to exit the eye, thereby lowering intraocular pressure.
Who is a good candidate?
➢ Patients for whom medications do not adequately control their eye pressure.
➢ Patients for whom selective laser trabeculoplasty is insufficient to reduce pressure in the eye.
Trabeculectomy: Overview
Glaucoma Tube Implants
A glaucoma tube implant is a tiny silicone tube connected to a round or oval plate which works as a straw to remove fluid from the eye resulting in a lower intraocular pressure.
Who is a good candidate?
➢ Patients for whom medications do not adequately control their eye pressure.
➢ Patients for whom selective laser trabeculoplasty is insufficient to reduce pressure in the eye.
➢ Patients for whom a trabeculectomy surgery was unsuccessful
iStent® Trabecular Micro-Bypass
iStent® is the smallest medical device ever approved by the FDA and is placed in your eye during cataract surgery. It is a device designed to improve your eye’s natural fluid outflow safely lowering eye pressure and creating a permanent opening in the trabecular meshwork. iStent® is the only FDA-approved device for the treatment of mild to moderate open-angle glaucoma.
The iStent®
➢ is safely implanted during cataract surgery.
➢ spares important eye tissue that is often damaged by traditional surgeries.
➢ does not limit treatment options that could help maintain your vision in the future.
Speak with one of our fellowship-trained glaucoma specialists, Dr. Robert Edelman or Dr. Pooja Khator, and Dr. Neal Kansara to see which procedure will work best for you.